Once Upon a Time
by the-nerd-has-arrived
Summary: Bella is just the average girl, but soon enough she meets Edward, crowned prince, and everything changes. She discovers love, drama, and heartbreak in a way she had never experienced. Fairy tale setting. T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Okay I haven't exactly written stories in a while and classes start in three days. So I am going to take a little longer to update than I did with previous stories. But they will be a lot better than if I just gave them to you hot off the press. Otherwise, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: For a touch of culture, a mi no me pertenece Twilight y tampoco soy Stephenie Meyer :D**

"Bella!" bellowed Charlie.

"Coming father!" I replied. I walked down the stairs, cursing the floor length dress my school had required as a school uniform. I always had balance problems and when I combined stairs and long fabric there were always guaranteed consequences.

"Well hurry dear! Jacob needs to get back to work!" I hurried my pace slightly hoping that I wouldn't exceed my limit yet I failed miserably and slid the remainder of the steps on my knees. I couldn't escape the scarlet blush that creeped up to my cheeks, knowing that Jacob was watching me.

He extended his hand and I hoisted myself up.

"Bella, when are you going to learn to walk?" he asked.

"Same day you successfully clean a room." I responded. This was about the fifth time he asked this question and my duty was to come up with a different smart-aleck response every time.

"Okay you got me there." he chuckled. I wasn't kidding. Wherever he went he left a path of trash, and when he tried to clean it up he would get "tired" and quit.

"Why'd you come over so early? School hasn't even started yet."

"Just wanted to know if you needed help and what our march numbers are."

"No to the first and not many to the second."

"That stinks. I really wanted to help. Who's going?"

"The pack, a couple of the ones that aren't afraid of getting fired, Angela, and me."

"Let me see if I can round up a few more brave souls."

"Thank you!" I checked the ancient clock and nearly gasped. "Jake I have to get to school so I can hang stuff up. I'll see you once I get home!" I started to run before Jacob caught my arm.

"Slow down before you kill yourself!"

"I'll try my best." I sighed. I kept a brisk walk on the mud road until I reached Angela's cottage. Mud road you ask? Let's just say it's not very practical to have a dirt road in a village with as much precipitation as ours. However the sun decided to peek from its nearly eternal cover of clouds.

I knocked in quick succession on the door and seconds later a head with light brown hair peeked out.

"Sorry Bella I'll be right out. Breakfast ran a little late." She slipped back inside and came out a minute later with a different pack than the one she used everyday.

"Are the posters in there?" I asked. Angela gave a small, yet excited, nod.

"Can I see?"

"Sure." She struggled to open the stuffed pack but she managed to extract a tightly rolled poster and hand it to me.

I untied the tight string and unrolled it. The poster was covered with pictures of Quileutes slaving away in the heat with the most melancholy faces you could imagine. It was most likely posed by the pack at Billy's but it was impossible to imagine them with faces this heart-breaking. They were happy to be together and Billy paid them for their work unlike most slave "owners".

I was so taken by the poster that I didn't notice a carriage speed right by us and didn't have enough time to do the instinctual jump to avoid being splattered by mud.

The insignia on the side looked very similar to the one on Lauren's but much more intricate and detailed. Lauren's insignia was the same as the one as the royal family's but it was a meaningless copy. This however was the real thing which gave Angela and me much more time to hang posters. The female population would be distracted by their precious prince while the males would try to restrain their girlfriends from their worst enemy. All in all the perfect distraction.

The screams following the carriage were deafening, although you had to admit it was hilarious to watch girls confess their love to a person who didn't give anyone a second thought.

We kept walking along the path worn down from the loggers, but instead of walking straight through the square like we always did, we took a route that was a lot longer and troublesome; there were alleys everywhere and you never knew what you would find.

We kept walking through and the sights started getting stranger and stranger. I had sworn I'd seen it all until I'd seen that person eating a live cat a year ago. It was disturbing and sick and I had nearly passed out of sheer disgust afterwards. That was the last time we used that route, yet here we were again. However, I'd rather have a pole shoved down my throat than have to listen to the prince's ways to "help" the kingdom and obsessed fan girl screams. We couldn't avoid it for long though, as we passed the part of our route that was closest to the square.

I caught glimpses of a girl around my age on the podium the prince was supposed to give his speech on. Her face showed excitement, but her eyes broke through her façade as they showed sorrow and pain. I couldn't help but feel curious and asked Angela; she did the research and I planned things in our little group.

"Why does that girl look so sad?" I asked.

"Her name is Alice. She's an orphan King Carlisle adopted while he was still alive. She started looking for her parents and found out who they were, but they had been recently burned at the stake for witchcraft. Now I guess she feels guilty for not looking for them earlier." she answered.

"I wonder if she's annoyed at a certain someone for dragging her along at this time."

"I don't think she is. She's probably trying to take her mind off it or find the village her parents lived in. Either way, you can tell she's doing it of her own free will. Otherwise she'd have run off by now." She did have a point. Alice looked otherwise excited as I saw through glimpses of the square through the alleys we went past. I made a mental note to try to find out what her thoughts about the kingdom were.

As I saw more of the square I realized that the prince was nowhere in sight. Had he finally decided to chicken out? I turned around. I had the feeling that I was being followed. That and the fact of the loud, running footsteps that were heard approaching us.

When I was turned backwards along with Angela we saw two faces. We knew both but had never seen one of them in person. And that said person was pointing a sword at my best friend's face. My jaw dropped in confusion. What had Jacob done?

After a couple of seconds of shock, Jacob's voice broke me from my trance.

"Bella, this might be a good time for you to tell him something."

"Well, what?! This isn't exactly the kind of circumstance I was hoping to talk to him to!" That seemed to do it. The prince dropped the sword in surprise and recoiled from Jacob as the pack emerged from the shadows of the dingy alley.

"Jacob? What did you do now?" I sighed. "I told you I didn't need help. You said you were going to find more people! What happened to that plan, huh?"

"We-well," he started. I was the only one that could make him stutter." This part of town is only place we haven't searched yet, but we have to keep hidden in case something exactly like this happens!"

The prince's jaw dropped.

"Go home Jake. Just go." I sighed, frustrated.

"What? Who? Why? What?" a velvet voice asked in confusion. I had nearly forgotten.

"Hi, I'm Bella. To put it frankly, I hate your uncle. He's a ruthless man that enslaves innocent people. I hate that he thinks that the Quileutes are superior to him and restricts them from doing some everyday activities." I tried to keep it simple, yet sarcastic, for him. Besides, I still have to give a speech about something nobody cares about in front of the whole student body.

"If you want to find out more, go to the debate at the academy. There are some perfect hiding spots behind the bushes on the west side. Now get back to the square. They're getting worried." He shook his head as if to shake his thoughts and headed back to the square. He was greeted by "Edward I love you!"s and "There he is"s.

Now I could only hope that he would go to the debate and see my point of view.

**Well what do you think? I won't pelt you with "REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!" but constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. I'll try to update at least three days apart to get the chapters written, looked over, and posted. Plus I can show them to Grace at school and she can help. I'll try to update soon! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Once again, I am extremely sorry! I went through an obssession with the Beatles and James Patterson at the same time! Actually, I'm supposed to have finished a rough draft of a personal narrative for English. I didn't type as many chapters as I wished, but I started to write a sci-fi that I want to use on a nonexistent Fictionpress account. :D**

**Thanks to 4bidden luv:), Arianna Cullen, chocolatease, and Macyn Cullen for reviewing!**

I arrived at the academy not long after, and as I expected, it was empty.

Angela and I split up and put up the posters in numerous places in the school. We spent our time doing this until the murmur of students could be heard. The speech was over so there was nothing better to do but to come here and hope to see some friends. However this was bad for us. We couldn't be seen putting the posters up so we had to stop.

We met up in the hallway we decided would be our rendezvous the previous day. We were afraid of getting caught because this wasn't our first "shenanigan" as our principal put it. We even had a code.

"So, how many days until your brother's birthday?" I asked.

"Actually, it's today."

"Today?! Really? I wasn't expecting that."

"When's your cousin's birthday?"

"6 days."

As the students walked by, they paid no attention to the vivid posters which was a great disappointment for Angela.

"Don't worry," I whispered," We still have the debate. Hey, the prince might even come." Although I doubted the latter.

The bell rang and everyone raced to their classes. You'd think that we would walk to class, but the teachers had a _very_ tight leash on tardiness.

I rushed to my class, hoping that English wouldn't assign another essay on the kingdom. Our teacher had a huge obsession with the king.

Mrs. Anderson kept rambling on and on about the kingdom while I was running over topics to talk about in the debate. However my thoughts were interrupted as someone rapped sharply on the door.

I recognized the mousy girl as Sarah Collins. She was the second klutziest person in the academy, first being me. She handed a note to Mrs. Anderson and stumbled on the way out the door.

Mrs. Anderson unfolded the note before skimming it quickly.

"Miss Swan? It seems the principal wants to talk to you."

I flinched internally as everyone turned to stare at me. I rose from my seat before tripping on someone's leg in the aisle. A couple of students sniggered while I rose. I exited the classroom and made my way through the sheltered hallways before arriving at the main office.

"Mrs. Cope, Mr. Green wanted to see me." I said. The old secretary pointed a thumb at a half-ajar door. I walked into the small office, but I wasn't the only one inside.

Inside it was packed with people. Jacob, Sam, Quil, Embry, Leah, Seth, and Angela were scattered around the small room. I was confused. What happened? Why was the pack here and not at the farm?

"Miss Swan, so great that you could join us." the balding principal said.

"I happen to know that you were involved with the posters in the hallways. But having _slaves_," he said that word with disgust," in my academy is unacceptable. I'm afraid that I have to resort to punishment to keep my school in order. You and your friend here," he pointed to Angela, "are banned from extracurricular activities. No art, no music, no sports, and more importantly, no debate." There were groans and screams of protest from everywhere in the room.

"You can't do that! I didn't even know the Quileutes were here!" yelled Angela.

"And you also don't accept responsibility for the protests, petitions, and other shenanigans you pulled off this year? Yes I find that really easy to believe." Everyone quieted down after that.

"If you don't comply, I will have to expel you and you really don't want to happen, do you?" We shook our heads.

"You are dismissed." Mr. Green said. We filed out the door and I headed back to English.

Today just wasn't my day.

**Good? Bad? Nyeh? Review if you wanna. I don't require you to... but still, constructive criticism is appreciated. Point out ANY spelling errors if you find any. I'm a spelling freak.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Okay I remember mentioning that the next chapter was in Edward's point of view in that author's note, but guess what? I messed up. THIS is the chapter. And I will admit, this chapter is pretty crappy. You'll hear me say that a lot. Let's just say that I don't regard myself too highly. I'll be updating a chapter tomorrow or tonight, depending on how I feel.**

**Thanks to 1NinjaVampPirate with 5 roses, 4biddenluv:), Arianna Cullen, chocolatease, Macyn Cullen, and nnck01 for reviewing. And remember, if you're a battery, you're either working or dead!:P**

I couldn't help but be intrigued by the idea of seeing this girl again. Although she believed in something that was completely absurd, it was interesting how she stood up for something she believed in. Most people were too cowardly to say anything.

The day that I heard how my uncle died I couldn't believe that the savages my uncle tried to make peace with killed him. The same savages this Bella stood up for. Why, though? Why did she stand up for them unlike the many people who didn't give a care? That's why I was so interested.

I followed Alice's instructions to the village academy. It turned out she lived in this village for a while before moving on to a larger village. She lived on the streets for a couple of years before Carlisle found her begging for money and took her in. He wanted to help the kingdom in as many ways as he could.

I walked through the intimidating gates of the academy. The school itself wasn't very large and consisted of small brick buildings. I followed my eyes to the largest building. There were posters on the side of it which were definitely made by Bella and her friend. There were a few students lounging outside on tables and wooden benches but one caught my attention.

Her long mahogany hair covered her face. Her brown doe-like eyes were miserable, an expression I had seen one too many times with Alice. She was the same girl from the alley. I covered my face with a hat, making sure to hide my face, and approached her.

I cleared my throat and she looked up at me, not seeing my face.

"You have to check in at the office if you're a visitor." she said scathingly.

"I think I can make an exception." I said smoothly. She looked up at me with guilt and recognition written across her face.

"I'm extremely sorry. I was supposed to be in the debate, but the principal banned me from it! I just wanted a chance to spread the message to everyone but even _that_ is impossible for me. I can never do anything right." Bella said. So she had the courage to stand up for something but is silenced by authority. That was horrible. I felt outraged at the way things ran but it was the only way we wouldn't have outbreaks across the country. There were so many flaws in our system that I couldn't help but to clench my fists.

"I'm sorry I wasted your time." She got up and started to walk away.

"Bella!" I cried out. She froze in her tracks.

"I didn't think it was a waste of time. I was just thinking about something." I continued. She turned around to face me with a spark of hope in her eyes.

"Really? You can think?"

"Yes." I said, ignoring the sarcasm dripping in her voice. "We keep people from speaking about what they want. If we didn't we would have scores of people lined up at our door, wanting to speak their mind. It's still wrong but if we didn't keep it that way we would be in a civil war. Not everyone agrees on one subject and we know, but we try to keep it as fair as possible. I was against the slavery before, but I realized that some people deserve it." There was outrage written clearly on her sweet face.

"Edward? Is this about your uncle? Vengeance isn't the answer, you know." There was an emotion I couldn't identify in her voice.

"That's what he used to say before he passed. Almost like a motto."

"You have to let go of the past, Edward. I lost someone important to me not long ago. However, I realized that if I forgot about what happened, I could do something about it."

"What do you mean? You can't do much if they're dead."

"Actually, she's not dead. She was framed and she's in prison. My dad tried to vouch for her as a sheriff, but since he was her husband, they didn't let him."

"I can help, you know. With both of your situations."

"Are you saying you're going to help _me_?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes. I guess I am." What she did next surprised me to no end. She hopped and clung to my body in a very tight embrace.

When she let go her eyes were wet.

"This is the best opportunity I could hope for!" she exclaimed. As she did, however, a few heads in the hall turned in our direction.

"Bella? Um, I think it's time to leave. Now." Her head turned around and her eyes widened in alarm.

I broke into a sprint, pulling Bella along. But as I held tightly to her hand, it felt as if a current was running through my arm. It was strange, yet not unpleasant in the least.

Bella let go and followed me as we ran back to the middle of town. Alice was looking at the never-ending greenery that surrounded the town. She quickly understood our situation and started towards the carriage.

I basically jumped inside with Bella in tow. Alice got there seconds after and we started our way.

Bella looked at her surroundings in awe. It wasn't because of the carriage, I guessed. It was more likely she couldn't believe she was here.

"Angela is never going to believe this." she stated with a smile on her face.

I smiled at her comment. It was an exalting feeling to make any one person hopeful.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Alice inspecting Bella. She had a hopeful gleam in her eye, one I rarely saw anymore. I smiled internally once more at Alice's happiness. It wasn't a façade like it usually was and for that I was grateful. It pained me so much to see the closest person to me miserable.

Bella turned to me and gave me a strange look, before shaking her head and looking out the window at the monotonous scenery. Her brow was creased in thought as trees flew past the window.


	4. Chapter 4

I couldn't believe I was here right now

I couldn't believe I was here right now. All Angela and I ever thought of was the system and how we could correct the flaws. This was about Plan L on our list: teach the prince of our beliefs, which isn't the most likely option, of course.

Alice was staring at me with a glint in her eye. I saw Edward's lips turn up the smallest fraction at the sight of Alice. His eyes lit up a tiny bit too. His gorgeous emerald eyes. It was like looking directly at the jewel, sunlight glinting off the edges with a dark pupil resting in the center. I just longed to- what was I thinking?! I was here to set slaves free, not flirt with the prince. I shook my head, as if to clear the thoughts from my mind.

I felt his gaze on me, causing my cheeks to flame. I stared out the window and tried to distract myself by thinking about other topics.

I ended up thinking about Renee and to avoid further thoughts, I tried to fall asleep. I really did, but sleep doesn't come very easily to me during the day. Besides, I knew I would end up saying something extremely embarrassing.

My thoughts wandered and ebbed before they were halted, along with the carriage. I saw a wrought iron gate with a large, burly guard at the front. He looked very intimidating, but at the sight of the carriage his face lightened up. Now he looked like a very large stuffed animal.

"How's my best friend?" he asked the prince in a deep booming voice.

"Fine, I guess. Have you and Jasper gotten into any trouble yet?" Edward asked back.

"No. But by my calculations, we should any minute now." He turned over his shoulder to look at the castle. "I have no idea how Esme puts up with us."

"Don't test her today, alright?" The guard peered his head through the door, to look at me. I felt my cheeks flame and he gave a booming laugh. He was handsome but in a very different way from the prince.

"I see you've finally gotten yourself a girlfriend!" My cheeks flamed even warmer. The guard continued "Did you do anything 'bad' with her? Is that why you don't want me to get Esme mad?" He winked at me.

My cheeks were definitely scarlet by now, but the prince continued as smoothly as if he hadn't said anything of importance.

"Emmett, just let us inside."

"Fine, but are you denying me information for a reason?"

Alice slammed her hands on the seat and yelled "Just let us through the stupid gate!"

"Fine, fine. I don't know how Jasper can stand you anymore. You're not fun." The pixie-like girl sitting to my left lost control and jumped out the door.

"I'll show you fun!!" She started to chase Emmett, and Emmett feigned a look of terror.

"Is that all the fun you've got? Come on!" Alice caught up with Emmett, jumped on his back and started to tickle his sides.

"No! Please! No! Get off!" He managed to say this before he choked in laughter. Alice was looking for something while simultaneously tickling him without getting thrown off. She emerged holding a key. She walked back to us and opened the gate.

She ran back to where Emmett lay on the ground and started to wrestle with him. It was easy to see why Emmett was beating Alice by a landslide, but she escaped him many times with her grace and speed.

The door to my right swung open and Edward extended a hand to help me down.

"We usually walk from here. There are good sights." I tried my best not to fall on the road but I still managed a few tumbles. But what surprised me was that the prince helped me up every time. I was most certain that he would be a stuck-up person like most royalty.

Curiosity got the better of me and I said "Why?"

"Excuse me? I didn't quite understand." Again with the manners.

I realized that my question wasn't very descriptive and tried again "Why do you help me up? I'm pretty sure that it gets tiring after the first few times."

"I guess old habits die hard. My mother and father always exceeded that manners got you anywhere in life. Do you _want_ me to stop helping you?" He kept his gaze with mine as he spoke, unlike the boys in my village that kept their eyes on other "things" as you talked. And frankly, I liked it. It made me feel like the center of attention, though, and as any klutz knows, that is the worst case scenario. I broke his gaze a little too abruptly and continued to walk along. I felt a small smile tugging on my lips and let it get through.

Then I realized that he asked me a question previously "No, it's not that. It's just that most guys at my village would just walk along like nothing happened or laugh." My smile got wider as I remembered all the instances involved with Jacob.

In my peripheral vision I saw the prince's eyes widen in surprise and confusion before he said "You have a beautiful smile, you know." My gaze fell to the ground to think about how many boys have probably said that to me. Mike, Tyler, and Eric were at the top of the list. I didn't understand. How could anyone fall for someone as ordinary as me? Plain brown hair, plain brown eyes, and freakishly pale skin, although compared to Alice and Edward it was more of a peach.

"Thanks." I murmured. We kept walking and we were about five yards from the entrance when I tripped on the first step, managing to bang my head against the cold, hard steps.

I saw Edward before my vision started to blur and get darker. He was waving something, a hand perhaps, in front of my face, but all I felt was the light breeze while it passed as darkness clouded my vision.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Okay. So I didn't get as many chapters done as I thought I would. I have quite a couple of excuses. It's barely the second week of school and I've already had a project and two tests. I've had dentist appointments here and there and I got braces on. Our church choir is trying to learn a ton of music at the same time. I have to practice my clarinet. My brothers never stop fighting which drives me nuts. And on top of that, I'm obsessed with James Patterson right now. But… since all the girls are obsessed with the Twilight series right now, I have the Maximum Ride series all to myself, and that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.**

**Disclaimer: Duh! Does Stephenie Meyer go to school and have braces? I think not.**

I heard a velvet voice calling my name repeatedly. It was very poetic and relaxing the way the voice said my name, yet there was urgency behind the words. I opened my eyes to investigate and everyone surrounding me breathed a sigh of relief.

I wasn't outside and the ground beneath me was very soft. I looked down and I was lying down on a very large bed. There was a moderate group of people around the bed all staring at me. Edward, Alice, Emmett the guard, a balding man with red hair, a woman with caramel colored hair, and a tall blonde man were the most noticeable. How long had I been unconscious?

"You've been out for a few minutes, young lady," answered the balding man. "Try to be a bit more careful, alright?" I gave a small nod. I looked around and it looked like the average bedroom. If you happened to live in a castle that is.

It was very roomy but not cavernous in the room. The bedspread was gold and black and a few steps to the side there was a very large window. Next to the window there were drawings hanging on the wall along with an occasional bookshelf. It was simple yet elegant in its own little way.

"Are you alright dear?" asked the woman with the caramel colored hair.

"I guess. It's not the first time this has happened." I felt a dull pain on my head and reached up to touch it. The tender bump wasn't the biggest I'd ever had, though. Edward placed a bag of ice in my hands and I planted it on my forehead. The frigid bag had many leaks in it and the water that ran down my arms tickled the tiniest bit.

"Thanks," I muttered. I was a little annoyed about the fact that my coordination had to give out when I was with royalty. That's why I never accept the invitations to balls and dances. My feet hated me. Either that or my body had a crush on the floor.

I started to get off the bed when a wave of hands reached out to help me. If these were the manners everyone was used to, I was going to get pretty annoyed over my visit.

I grabbed the closest and the tall blonde man helped me to my feet.

"I think this is not the best time for introductions, but since my nephew told me you would be staying for a while it won't make much of a difference." the caramel-haired woman said, "I'm Esme, Edward's guardian." She shook my hand and continued, "This is Alice. I adopted her along with Emmett. They were on the streets when Carlisle and I found them and we couldn't say no to their adorable faces. You've already met Edward. This is Jasper, Alice's husband and one of Edward's best friends. And that's Dr. Schultz." she pointed to each in turn.

I shook their hands respectively.

"You'll be staying in this room for your visit." Alice said.

"Wow." I said, not able to keep the word from escaping my lips. "It's very…" I struggled to find the right word "Nice." I finished lamely.

"Glad you like it. It was Edward's old room before he moved to a room with a view of the pond. He absolutely loves that place." Alice said. I couldn't help but to drop my jaw. I'd been given a room that had belonged to royalty. I couldn't have this sort of thing. I didn't deserve this. What had I done to get this in return?

"I love the room, but I'd rather not impose on you. I know a relative in the city," I lied. Well not exactly, my dad had a stepsister that lived here. "I'll stay with her. I haven't seen them in a long time and they'll be ecstatic" Now, how was I going to cover up that lie? I'd never met her for Pete's sake.

Alice looked a little downfallen and inquired "May I at least show you around the castle?"

"I guess." I shrugged. Besides, what else was I going to do?

"Great! We'll start at the library." Library? Did I hear correctly? I was an absolute bibliophile, yet our academy library had very few books. The town's had a pinch more.

She led me down a labyrinth of hallways before stopping at a large mahogany door. She grabbed a handle about as large as my fist and opened the gargantuan door.

The library was very spacious, filled with chairs and numerous shelves. There were probably thousands of books in here and my eyes widened.

Row upon row was filled with books and scrolls of varying sizes. I browsed the endless selection of titles before arriving to an area filled with dust. I looked up at a small plaque on the shelf.

"Records?" I asked.

"Yes. This is where we keep all the information about the kingdom; wars, famines, discoveries, and that sort of thing."

"Royalty?"

"Most likely in there too. But it'd take you a week to find something you were looking for in there. It's not as organized as the other parts of the library as you can very clearly see." There were scrolls here and there on the table in front of the shelf. Books were opened up, gathering a layer of dust where the pages stood. A few books were hanging off the ledge and others were strewn on the floor. Almost as if someone had done some frantic research and had to leave.

"Edward tends to the library when he needs to concentrate. He's read a pretty hefty chunk of this place. He could probably perform that Shakespeare man's plays he rambles on about all the time." Alice said, surprising me out of my reverie.

"Shakespeare? I've heard and wanted to read his works for a year now but my school can't get any."

"Well, you're in luck." She exited and I followed. I would definitely be back to the library soon.

**A/N ok so I meant to put this up a couple of days ago, but um, and you'll hear this a lot, I forgot. Now I feel sorry. Don't kill me. Please? Oh and one condition, when and if you review please don't write "UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!" Personally, I prefer it if you said something along the lines of "good job" or "it's nice" or even "why didn't you update? I hate you and this story! Oh and please continue" you know?**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, so I was just thinking (yeah, I can think) and I realized that this is a long-term deal here. These are mainly like the little filler chapters, so it doesn't get interesting until later. And I have a new phrase. Gum - better than drugs and minty fresh. Repeat that in your review and you get mentioned and I'll most likely tell you the whole story behind that in my next A/N. Oh, and by the way, I'm reading the Host so my updates might get a little more far apart. Maybe. **

I walked through the different parts of the city, hoping I could find my aunt. Step-aunt. Whatever the term was, I was looking.

I'd remembered my father mentioning her before. They'd had a feud in the family and they hated each other, but she still held care for me. Or pity for having my father in the same household. Either way, she cared for me.

I passed the small houses, hoping to see some landmark of some kind to tell me where I was.

I saw a faded sign and it claimed we were on Emerald Road.

Two houses away I saw a larger house than the ones on the street. Was this the "spoiled pig" my father told me about?

I walked tentatively towards the front door. I rapped on it three times before taking a step back.

A middle-aged woman opened the door. She was a little pudgy, but not obese. She had graying hair on her head. Wide blue eyes looked me with pity but held a stern look.

"Bella? What happened? Did your father finally drive you off the wall?" she asked. I flinched as I remembered not being able to tell him where I'd gone. I nearly cursed at the reaction he would most likely give when I'd tell him where I was staying

"Umm, no. Actually, I need to look for a place to stay and I was wondering if I could stay here." She looked triumphant as I said that.

"Of course. Come in," she stated, although it sounded more like a command.

I walked through the mahogany door, a whiff of freshly baked bread enticing my senses.

"I only have room, so I guess you would have to sleep either on the couch or on the floor in my bedroom." She went to the kitchen leaving me alone to make my decision.

She emerged a minute later, carrying a tray laden with bread, butter, jam, and tea.

"I guess I'll sleep on the couch." I saw a pile of blankets off to the side and grabbed one quickly. I lay down on the couch and tried to fall asleep, but I felt my whatever-the-term-is's gaze on me. I opened my eyes and she was gawking at me as if I was insane.

"What?" I asked quickly.

"You go to sleep this early?"

"Umm… yes?" I answered tentatively. She shrugged it off and left the room, leaving the tray on a small table.

I mulled over what Edward had told me earlier. Would he really help my mother get out of prison? Did he really mean what he said about the slaves? I found it extremely hard to believe right now, but maybe he wasn't that bad of a guy.

I closed my eyes, falling into a semi-peaceful slumber.

**And that's the end of that. Please give me suggestions on how to start the next chapter. I'm kind of at a dead end right now. Stupid science notes. They took away all my ideas!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Well, I forgot to mention my reviewers** **in the last chapter which makes me feel guilty. And by the way, I've got 15 different countries with people that have checked out at least the first chapter of this story! And 1,000 hits! Awesome! **

**Thanks to Macyn Cullen, chocolatease, 4biddenluv:), Arianna Mason, nnck01, 1 NinjaVampPirate with 5 roses for reviewing.** **I would normally do something better to thank you, but I'm kinda trying to keep up with my schedule.**

**I was looking at the first disclaimer I put up and decided to explain things a little. Read When the Wind Blows. Then read the Lake House. That'll clear things up a bit. **

**Disclaimer: If I were Stephenie Meyer, I would have a servant to clean my room. But, I spent hours cleaning yesterday. That enough explaining for you?**

"Bella! Wait up!" hollered Alice, as I was trying to escape this horrendous torture.. Did the hand-me-down clothes and tattered shoes not send a message? I hate to shop. It's a fact of nature.

"Come on, Bella! One more pair, please?" She put on a puppy dog face. It would have worked except...

"You've said that _seven_ times!"I hollered back. How would I know exactly how many? I had fallen each time she slipped on the uncomfortable shoes and each fall had left its mark on my body.

"But these aren't heels! They're really comfortable!" What would she know about comfortable? Her feet must have been made of steel to withstand the shoes she was wearing.

"Ugh, fine!" I consented grudgingly.

I'd known her for one day and I was subjected to shopping with her. Jessica hasn't taken me shopping yet and I've known her for nearly a year!

I ran in the store and tried on the final pair, surprised to find that they were actually comfortable.

"Fine," I sighed, "but I'm paying for them."

"Bella, you might not want to do that!" Rosalie protested while my eyes searched for the price.

My eyes widened at the price and ran out of the store.

"That was a perfectly good waste of shoes! I don't care what you say, I'm getting them for you!" exclaimed Alice.

I sighed, knowing that she was determined.

Alice entered the store, purchased the shoes, and made her way back out.

"Okay, let's go home," declared Rosalie.

Finally, a good idea.

**XxXxXxX**

The remainder of my day wasn't complete torture. Until...

"Bella," Alice began, "Edward wants to see you for a sec."

I closed the heavy book I was reading and walked with Alice to a room I hadn't noticed before. She swung open the door and Edward sat at a desk, perusing over some documents.

As if reading my mind about this room, Edward stated, "This was Carlisle's study."

There were three walls completely covered with books. The wall behind me had detailed paintings and framed pictures of the family.

Alice left, leaving me alone with a guy, something you shouldn't do unless I've known that guy for years.

"I was wondering about the details of your opinions of the Quileutes' treatment," Edward said, but it was in a much more sophisticated tone than the one he had used previously.

"Well, they're people too, you know. Everyone should be treated equally. Race is irrelevant in that situation. What would you think if people were slaves because of red hair, or green eyes, or being a young male? People are just being idiotic and prejudiced because they look different." I finished, surprised that I managed to say that without taking things out of context. I looked up, realizing that I had been looking at my shoes the whole time.

There was something in Edward's eyes, but it wasn't one of those typical feelings you see in haughty princes. It was more like admiration or pride. The same pride a father has in his eye when the first word his daughter says is "dada".

"I see..." he trailed off, nearly breaking eye contact. He seemed to be trying to control something. His feelings maybe? Maybe he just but up a facade of pride so I wouldn't get mad. If this was the case, well, furious would be an understatement.

"Um, are we done?" I asked hesitantly.

He chuckled, "No, I'm afraid. I just lost my train of thought."

"May I inquire as to what made you lose that train?" I asked, this time trying to imitate his dialect. I failed. Miserably I might add.

"Just the pictures on the wall. They have a lot of memories." His nostrils flared slightly.

"Oh. Any one in particular?"

"The one in the bottom right corner. Alice made us do that." He pointed out one where Emmett carried Edward on his shoulders, Jasper was lifting Alice over his shoulder, and Carlisle had Esme on his back.

"Where's Rosalie?" I inquired.

"We hadn't met her until a year later. We just knew that Jasper had a twin at the time. Jasper worked as a guard here. Alice went past him on those kinds of days where she talks to anyone. They've been married for a few months now." I gulped. Married? At this age?

Edward continued, "Rosalie came over one day to talk to Jasper about family matters and at the same spot, Emmett met Rosalie. They're not married, but they might as well be. They've done certain things so many times that it's a miracle that they're not tired of each other." He made a face of disgust.

"Do you know how Carlisle and Esme met?" I was getting dragged into this.

"I know a few of the details but I can't remember others. Carlisle was going around the hospitals when he was younger. He just wanted to be a doctor and my father was debating about claiming the throne. He saw this girl he had treated that was about to jump off a cliff. He tried comforting her, telling her that suicide wasn't the answer, and managed to convince her not to jump. They got closer as she explained her problems to him, Esme knew that this was the kind of man she could love safely. Carlisle just plain loved her. However, they were at that awkward stage where one doesn't know if the other feels the same." He flinched a little here. " They got together at a dinner with my family and my father told Esme of Carlisle's feelings. And the rest is history."

"And what of your father and mother?"

"Childhood friends. Basically they knew each other so well that they knew no one else could feel those mutual feelings. My mother tried dating but it didn't turn out well. Her date and my father got into a big fight because he nearly fed her something she was deathly allergic to." He chuckled a little. "He took her to a meadow in the forest and he proposed. I guess that's how I've always imagined the way for me to pop the question." His face flushed the tiniest bit, as if embarrassed to reveal so much about himself.

"That's nice. Can't say my life's that interesting, though. My parents met in school. Boyfriend, girlfriend, etc. I came along a little too early and they weren't ready for a child, but we managed. Their love has died down a bit." I admitted. I thought about the fights about me and my ideas that kept me up half the night. "They're both only children like myself, but my father's parents adopted a girl. She and my father feuded and ended up causing a family rift, though, so it's not like it matters."

"Is this the relative you're staying with?" Edward asked.

"Yes. The thing I like is that she doesn't ask many questions. She just took me into her home. However, I haven't told my father yet and I know for certain that he won't agree on my housing arrangements." Or the fact that he didn't know where he was. "Speaking of, can I have some parchment and a pen? I want to write him a letter."

"Of course. I can't remember what I was going to ask you earlier, but I'm sure I will remember later." He rummaged in a drawer for a parchment and pen and handed it to me.

I wrote quickly in my untidy penmanship and folded the paper after the ink was dry.

"I'll take this to the post office on my way back." I said, inclining his invitation to have a servant take it.

"I was wondering," he started, twiddling his thumbs," Would you like to accompany me to introduce the idea of being fair to the slaves to a few major towns?" He looked into my eyes with hope.

"Definetely. Why would you think I would say no?"

"Well... when you introduce an... idea such as yours, people... don't tend to take it with much... enthusiasm," he said slowly, trying to pick the best words.

"I know what that's like, so it shouldn't be much of a problem." I flinched at how the academy had taken some of my notions.

"I guess you can leave now, Bella. It was a pleasure to see you again."

"Pleasure to see you, too." I looked into his eyes and smiled a little, remembering my previous comparison to emeralds.

I got out of the chair and opened the door while trying to peer outside, and the door hit my forehead **(A/N don't you hate that?) **

"Ouch," I hissed under my breath.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked.

"I'm fine," I answered, conscious of the bump growing on my head.

I made my way, more carefully than I usually did. Why do my feet hate me?

**A/N I had the block, but thanks to a four-day weekend, I made it through. I have a four-day weekend next week too. But it's student led conferences :P**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Thank you to ****ohnoes****. I was typing in a rush to squeeze all that I had in my mind and I must have not been paying much attention. Around 300 hits and still climbing from that last update! And, I've reached 22 reviews, 4 of which happened in the course of 30 minutes.** **I counted ;)**

**And to IDONTHAVEANAME :p(if you've read up to this point) I know how you feel. Although I make up half the thing on the spot, the one chapter I wrote for the future climax setup was after watching that movie. But, I have changed some of the direction of the story, so I'll probably end up changing that chapter. That and the fact that it was written in about ten minutes. :P**

**Thanks to(random order) ohnoes, 1NinjaVampPirate with 5 roses, StEpHhEarT'zU, IDONTHAVEANAME :p, and twiLight-fan1207 for reviewing that last chapter**

**I have Choir practice on Wednesdays and dance lessons(unfortunately) on Thursdays, so I won't be updating as often. But be happy because this is my longest chapter!... Ever!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing but my plot.**

I'm sitting in a carriage. On a bumpy road. Really bumpy. As in, I've hit my head on the ceiling too many times to count.

"Are we al–" the carriage bounced, "–most there?"

"Just a few more minutes," Edward answered. I couldn't help but giggle at the way his voice vibrated along with the bumps.

"What?" Another giggle.

"What?!" And yet another giggle.

"Your voice," I tried to say, but a pothole made me hit my head on the ceiling yet again.

"It vibrates," I managed to admit.

"It seems –" pothole "– so," he chuckled.

"Sire?" spoke the man driving us.

"Yes, Howard?"

"We've entered the city limits."

"Thank you."

I saw the group of people, mainly females, following us, while Edward just looked at the scenery, which despite the road, was actually very nice.

Rocky mountains were sheltered by a mass of green at its base. There was a sparkling blue lake, unlike the gray water I was accustomed to. There were cliffs at the other shore of the lake, which was rather strange. There was a small island in the middle and a smaller amount of shrubbery grew on it.

The carriage shuddered to a halt, and I fell onto the floor. Just downright hilarious how this happens to me.

The usual hand was there to help me up and led me out, where we were bombarded with cacophony. Some eyes widened when they took in my face. Others ignored me and tried to get Edward's attention.

He stepped onto a podium, addressing the crowd.

"Great to see you all here today," he started, already making a few girls swoon.

"I've come here unexpectedly after being introduced to a different point of view. This is my friend, Bella, and she was the one that helped me realize that what we're doing is wrong." Nearly all the heads turned to see me, and most of them wore scathing expressions of either jealousy or disgust.

"I think . . . " he hesitated," that we should start paying the slaves."

The men of the crowd were yelling in outrage. Money was easy to get, but if you put paying money into the equation there would be fewer luxuries.

"Let me justify my motives," Edward continued, not nearly as smoothly as before."How would you feel if you were forced to work for no money in horrible conditions? I'd hate it. And to have that happen everywhere I go is even worse. What if all blondes had to work? Red-haired people? Blue eyes? Women? Men? It's an infinite list. Someone narrowed it down to where race was an issue. What is so different about Quileutes? They look different, but don't we all?" I was hooked. He was rephrasing what I said, but he made it sound more . . . important. Like it actually mattered. I made it sound like a 3-year-old insisting on buying sweets.

"Think about this for just two seconds and you'll see that what we're doing isn't fair. It'll be a hard change but it will be rewarding once it's complete and done without hesitation."

No one spoke, until...

"And what happens if we don't agree with this?" a burly man hollered.

"We will lessen a small amount of the taxes for citizens that pay their slaves. If you don't pay them, you pay more taxes. The more you pay them, the smaller amount of taxes." A few heads nodded in agreement.

"Who's the girl?" asked a blonde, jealousy streaming in her voice.

"A friend I met in a village I was visiting," he answered in an indifferent tone. "Any more questions?"

Silence.

Edward started walking down the podium when apparently most of the females remembered why they were there.

The cacophony nearly shattered my eardrums and I followed after the reason for it.

Inside the carriage I asked him, "Is it always that loud?"

He chuckled, "Put a little bit of cotton in your ears. It does wonders."

The bumpy road was nearly impossible to ignore now. It had rained a small bit in our absence and the mud was the thick kind that never relinquished its hold.

Edward sighed in frustration at the third time we had gotten stuck. He jumped out and said something to the coachman.

He peeked his head back in and told me, "We're walking back to the village for the mud to dry a little. We wouldn't want to deprive you of walking would we?" I smiled at his sarcasm, playing along.

"Of course not! Who wouldn't want me to walk a mile?"

I hopped out, impressed at how much they were able to hide something as large as the carriage in such little time.

I began the trudge, hoping to get a head start before the men could watch me fall. But no, even that was ruined as they jogged to catch up after less than thirty seconds of walking.

I'll save you the story of how many times I fell, because trust me when I say it would sound like I was exaggerating.

As we were approaching the outskirts of the city, Edward pulled a hood over his head, hiding his face.

He stopped and ordered, "Put your hood on." So that's why Alice insisted on me bringing this cape.

We continued our not-so-merry way and arrived in front of a shabby pub.

"You drink?!" I exclaimed.

"Females tend to steer clear of bars such as these. The less women inside, the better," he explained, sounding appalled that I had made such a conclusion.

We entered and were surrounded by the stench of alcohol.

"I'll see you on the way out," called Howard, as he ran toward the bathroom.

They served food here. Apparently they had good food, seeing as most of the tables were full of men and families without drinks.

"I guess we could sit here," I offered, pointing at a table next to us. It wasn't too dingy, and he accepted.

I took in the scene around us and I knew my father would never approve.

A man dressed in fancy clothes for the occasion was surrounded by friends, clapping him on the back continuously for proposing. A table was filled to the brim with drunks, singing loudly and off-key to obnoxious songs. Another had a man, most likely brooding, glancing at the knife next to his plate often. A group of rather tall men huddled together on their table, probably discussing a business venture. Howard was coming out of the bathroom. The bartender was wiping tables. A young couple, probably left best not disturbed. An old couple bickering while a young man in the middle, definitely the topic of the conversation, kept wincing at things they said.

A waiter, startled to see royalty, asked nervously, "What would you two like?"

I hadn't noticed the menu hanging over the bar and quickly said, "Chicken is fine."

"Steak, please," answered Edward quickly, eyeing the young couple with a strange glint in his eye.

The waiter looked in the direction Edward was and sighed, "I wished I was that way with women." I had to bite back the laugh that was about to explode like Mount Vesuvius. So he had longing in his eyes!

The waiter stalked off.

"What was so funny?" he asked, his voice tinged with a little hurt.

"Did you _hear_ what the waiter said?" I retorted while giggling. Hopefully he would believe my lie.

"Oh," he responded, his cheeks flushing when realizing that was the reason I was giggling.

"So, I'm a little curious. You said that your father was debating to take the throne. My history isn't that good so I was hoping you could clue me in a little."

"Well, my grandfather left the throne to the eldest of the three brothers, my father, but my father really mulled things over. He wanted to start a family with my mother, but he knew it would be exceedingly difficult to juggle a family and the kingdom. He chose family and passed on the throne to Carlisle. Carlisle had mountains of plans to help and gladly accepted. He ruled for a short time before being murdered. James took the throne next."

"Murdered?" I asked.

"Yes. He and James went out on a hunting trip. James came home alone, telling us the Quileutes had murdered him after crossing onto their territory."

"What?! I'd always been told he'd died of disease." I knew that Carlisle had some disputes with the Quileutes, but never _killed_.

"Then your school has horrible funding," Edward joked.

"That is true. You should hear the girls complaining about the stalls in the restrooms," I stated.

"So what about your life? Can I ask you some questions?"

"All right."

"Excuse me for putting it so frankly, but... do you have any love interests?" I blushed deeply at that comment.

"Well . . . there's Mike. He reminds me of my friend's dog actually. He's always following you, to the extent where you want to rip his throat out. Then there's Tyler. He . . . nearly killed me and now he's trying to make it up by asking me to dances and the like. Eric is just not the kind of person I'm really interested in. He is a good friend and that's all he'll ever be."

"I think you misunderstood by question. I meant people _you_ like."

"Oh . . . no. I'm not really into guys. And I'm too shy to build up the nerve to ask someone for that sort of thing . . . " I looked down shyly and met his gaze, a scorching emerald green.

"You are beautiful, you know. I don't get how you can't see that." Had I ever mentioned that to him? "I can tell you have insecurities. It's in your eyes. You doubt yourself in others' presence. When you're with Alice it's like you're screaming that you don't deserve it with just one look."

"And when have you had 'insecurities' that you know so much about them?"

He chuckled darkly. "Never knowing whether you're making the right choice for everyone. There's nothing like that kind of pressure. If you fail, it's all your fault. No one else's. That's why I'm so worried about taking over. I'll never be good enough," he admitted softly.

"Look what you've done. You straight-out told a city to change their lives by paying money to people they hardly know. I could never have done that. You managed to do it flawlessly."

"Practicing in a mirror helps," he teased half-heartedly. I smiled. That's how I managed not to blow chunks in front of the student body for debate.

Our food came then, and although chicken wasn't my favorite meal, it had a good zest to it. It was tangy and sweet, but still had a particular flavor to it that reminded me of my mother's cooking. Unfortunately.

Edward eyed his warily, but decided to try it. His eyes widened in delight the smallest bit and he ate another hefty chunk.

"It tastes just like my mother's cooking!" he exclaimed after finishing another bite.

"Good thing it doesn't taste like my mother's," I joked.

I took another bite and my breath cut off. I tried and tried to breathe up to the point where it was useless gasping. I heard panic around me and my lungs were burning. I tried coughing but it did no good. My lungs started to burn even more.

I felt pressure around my middle and my air seemed to come out with it. The pressure continued until the object clogging my airway flew out. Just in time,too. I was beginning to see stars.

I sucked in deep shuddering breaths until my lungs cooled a little.

"Bella, are you alright? Of course you're not alright. You were choking! Here's some water." Edward trembled as he gave me the glass.

I took deep satisfying gulps, being careful with each swallow.

**A/N Longest chapter deserves 5 reviews, don't you think? I liked the insecurities part. For all those who opened the first alert: it was unedited and full of homophone mistakes. You'd still get the meaning but it isn't quite the same.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Ugh, I'm back and at the most amount of stress of my life. Band rehearsals, church activities, my brother's soccer tournament, make-up work because of rehearsals which are at 7:30 AM, tests, etc. This is one of the(in my opinion) blah-iest chapters I've written.**

We're back at the castle gates. Edward wants to keep me close by. There's been a series of attacks in my what's-the-term's neighborhood. After choking, he knew I needed to be protected. Great.

Alice was the first to see us. You could tell she had been waiting for us. Jasper and Emmett were also on the front steps, both with faces of boredom.

She skipped up to me and breathed out, "Bella! How did it go? Did they react alright? Did you get pelted? Did they like it? I don't think they would have liked it, but maybe they'll agree. Tell me, Bella!" How she could say this in one breath I'll never know. Maybe it's something some girls have in common. Jessica, for example, could go on and on for minutes before taking a breath.

"Actually, Alice, Bella's pretty exhausted. I'll tell you after she's in her room. She probably doesn't want to hear my retake on the day's events," Edward replied. My eyes _were_ drooping a little.

"Was it _that_ bad?" she asked.

"No. But we did have to push the cart for a while," he answered. We never had to push. It was nice and dry by the time we had gotten back. Why was he lying to Alice? He shot a warning glance in my direction.

"Could one of you lead me there?" I asked politely.

"Emmett you go," said Alice tersely.

"But why me?" he whined.

"Because if you don't I'll tell Esme what you did with Jasper over the weekend." Emmett's face blanched and he took me by the arm.

As we were walking, I asked, "What _did_ you do with Jasper?"

"Nothing illegal... I think. We...sort of... well...you'll find out... most likely when Alice finds out what we _really_ did."He smiled evilly.

"You didn't," I said skeptically.

"I did," he replied with a grin.

"So you're telling me you raided Alice's closet?"

"And burned most of her clothes."

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!?!" I screeched.

"Don't worry. I gave her enough for a week."

"You'll regret this," I teased.

"I've done it before." I stared at him as if he was the craziest man on earth, which he was.

He merely shrugged his shoulders and kept walking.

We soon arrived to my room. I plopped onto my bed and fell asleep. Though not for long...

The piercing screech of Alice ripped me from my dreams. She was in a completely different hallway but you could hear it as clearly as if it had been right next to your ear. Running footsteps soon followed, muffled by the door. After a minute or two, Edward was heard laughing as he headed back to his room.

"THIS ISN'T FUNNY!!!" Alice screeched.

"Oh yes it is!" retorted Emmett.

"I'm sorry Alice, but there's nothing we can do," said the sweet voice of Esme. "You can go shopping tomorrow. No limits. Buy whatever you want. You also have the right to prank Emmett over the course of two weeks without punishment."

"Aw come on!!!" whined Emmett.

There was an argument, but I simply went back to sleep. Not much longer I entered the realm of dreams.

My dreams collapsed after Alice interrupted again.

However, unlike the last scream, this one was accompanied by racking sobs. What was going on?

I left my shelter of sheets and walked to Alice's room at a brisk pace.

The sight inside paralyzed me. A snake had coiled itself around Alice, and was trying to strangle her arm. Two holes were on her forearm where it had already bitten her.

"Get James," she gasped, looking slightly to my left. Running footsteps were already echoing in the hallway.

I couldn't do anything but look in fear at the menacing snake, which had done nothing but hiss and coil.

"Alice," I whispered, "In case something happens, do you want me to tell anyone something?"

At first she moaned, "Tell... Edward that of course... she likes him," she gasped in pain and my heart dropped, "Jasper... I love him..." At that moment, King James burst through the door, shoving me roughly to the side.

He had a small vile and dabbed a small amount on the snake. The snake loosened its hold and dropped onto a rug. He withdrew another vile from a pocket and doused Alice's wound with it. He bandaged it slowly, throwing glances at me and widening his eyes occasionally, as if realizing an unknown danger...

**To one of the reviewers, you asked where the drama came and I said where James came in, right? Well, there's this other chapter coming up where Bella _really _meets James. That's the one I'm talking about.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Sorry it's been a while. I just got headgear and had the biggest performance of the year while trying to keep up with the "create-a-country" project and talking in front of the whole class about a book. I got an 89 on it by the way! Woohoo! I thought I would definitely fail or at least pass out.**

"I just don't understand!" fumed James. "This is more serious than I thought!"

"What do you mean exactly?" asked Victoria.

"There's something about that girl. She's the only kind of girl Edward would fall for! Soon things are going to get serious, and when they do, no, _if_ they do, I'm in danger of getting kicked off the throne."

Victoria's head whipped around, followed by her fiery mane of hair.

"You think he might go that far?" she inquired.

"It's a possibility. When he talked to me about her, he looked.... fulfilled. As if he had finally completed himself as a person. I thought never in a million years would he find someone that would like him for himself. I never made a plan..." He reveled in his new discovery.

"A plan!" he exclaimed. "And another! And another if things don't go as planned!"

Victoria's teeth glinted in the moonlight.

"And I have the perfect plan if all goes wrong," she stated wickedly. She took a small vile from a desk and tapped it.

"Look familiar?" she asked in a both teasing and horrible manner.

"Yes. Yes, indeed," replied James, simultaneously smirking.

* * *

Alice was on the road to recovery, which meant staying in bed, much to her dismay. We're keeping a constant eye on her too, just in case something else happens. Much to _our_ dismay. We have to listen to her constant rants about not having her clothes anymore and how she can't go get more. I wouldn't be surprised if we found Emmett dead in her room someday.

At the same time, I feel like I'm being watched. It's probably just paranoia setting in, but I can't put it off. I'll see something shiny glinting in the air for half a second before it's gone.

Almost forgot to mention it, Edward is watching over me when I sleep. I'll hear the door open and shut, waking me at random moments in the night. It's sweet to see that someone cares like that for me, but it _is_ disconcerting to know that the person who does deserves a maid of honor or something of the like. Not some average girl that comes from a town in the middle of nowhere.

I heard the door open, shaking me from my dreams and lack thereof. I guess the moonlight caught my eye because not long after...

"Bella?" Edward asked.

"Mm-hm," I replied, trying to sound as if I had just woken up.

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," I repeated in my fake groggy voice.

I heard nearly silent footsteps hit the wood floor, soon followed by a creak as he sat in a chair.

"Um..." he reached out tentatively for my hand. I shuddered slightly at the unexpected coldness.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he exclaimed. "I was walking around outside before I came indoors. It's a little chilly."

He placed my quilt between our hands, and although the quilt prevented me from feeling the exact contours of his hand, I could tell we were a perfect fit. He gave a small sigh before starting.

"I have no other way of saying this,

but with you in my life, it is heavenly bliss.

From the moment we met, and the moment we talked,

to the moment you fell, and I did not walk.

I could tell there was something else there,

behind your chocolate brown eyes and mahogany hair.

No dark secrets hid behind your veil,

no one could ever say "send her to jail"

You're never selfish and never unkind,

I can be sure this love is not blind.

I hope you can accept this proclamation of love,

created for the brightest and purest young dove.

Our love may not last or withstand the test of time,

but worse would it be for it to be unspoken like a mime.

Take my heart or break it,

the choice is clearly your's.

Remember, either way would be exploring bolted doors..."

He finished by tearing his eyesight from me, probably not wanting to see the internal conflict inside of me. However, there was no conflict. He's sweet, gentle, intelligent, and handsome. Sure there was the whole "he's royal and you're not" and "What would Charlie do when he finds out?" mantra running through my head simultaneously, but it was merely a whisper compared to the urge to say yes. And what do you know...

"I'll take it," I whispered in the dark. I heard a sigh of relief before being enveloped in his comforting arms.

He tenderly kissed my cheek, making my nerves jolt and my heart leap in my chest.

"I'm going to leave before anyone notices I stayed. You'll be amazed at how fast news travels around here. The walls don't hold secrets, and there are some secrets best left unspoken," he said with a twinge of sadness in his eyes.

"I don't understand," I stated.

"Well..." he hesitated, "if word leaks into the public, you'll be recognized everywhere you go. I know how that feels, and it's very annoying. I wouldn't want to put you through that." I could tell there was some information he wasn't telling me, but I would badger him about it later.

"Okay," I answered.

He rose from the chair, producing another squeak, and left, leaving me to deal with my emotions of ecstasy.

**A/N Just have to say that writing that poem was a HUGE accomplishment for moi. Say what you want. Hate on it. Constructive criticism. Etc. etc. Toodles, noodles, and annoying french poodles!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I have this obsession with Australia all thanks to Dave(the youth minister), Jacey(the platypus fanatic), and kangaroos! So I officially declare Australia to be mine. Muahahahahaaa! I am also Stephenie Meyer! And Johnny Depp! Don't forget that I'm a blue dodo named Pedro! And... I also own the Twilight series! ... In other words, I don't own squat.**

-2 Months Later-

"Bella?" Edward's soft voice asked.

"Hmm?"I replied, too caught up in the moment to even try talking coherently.

"We have to go back. It's getting dark." He motioned to the sky. "We can watch the sunset, if you'd like," he added.

"Okay," I answered and grabbed his leading hand. Without it, I'd get lost in the thick forest.

Within minutes, we were at the outskirts of a pond, one Alice had mentioned when I had just arrived.

He sat down and I followed. He then lay down with his arms behind his head, gazing at the stars that would gradually appear. I just sat, watching the horizon until the sun hid beneath the land.

I let my upper body fall, landing with my head on Edward's chest, the rise and fall of his breathing relaxing me.

He grabbed a stray lock of hair and twirled it around his fingers. The moment was so serene, so utterly perfect, that it was a surprise that nothing happened.

I watched the swaying cattails at the pond's edge, the ripples in the pond as a fish broke the still water's surface, and the hues of the twilight.

"Bella?" Edward asked.

"Yes?"

He hesitated before closing the space between us and pressing his lips to mine. However, he pulled away quickly.

"Why did you do that?" I asked playfully.

"You never know how much time we have together, and I want to take advantage of the time we _do _have," he answered in a slightly grave voice.

I nodded. With the recent war going on, we had no clue who would be attacked next. James had taken over the decisions for the time being, more experienced in battle and strategy. Charlie had let me stay here because the city had much more protection than our little village. We keep in contact though, sending letters weekly and keeping ourselves posted on what was happening.

"Wow, you sure know how to kill the moment," I teased.

He merely chuckled, and stared into the distance.

I heard a faint voice calling us, our cue to get inside.

He placed his hand in mine, radiating warmth and comfort, and we continued our way back to the main doors.

However, Esme stopped me before I was inside.

"James wants to see you," she stated.

I gave a nod, in shock. I was most likely why the war started. Only anger could be in store for me.

I walked with my head held low. The average sulking position. Walking towards the unknown. Utter joy.

**A/N Thanks to my reviewers! Sorry I couldn't get it out sooner. My English teacher must think we are robots or something because, honestly, who finishes an essay and three workpages in one night. Twilight came out! I'm probably not gonna see it until it comes out in cheap theaters or I get invited to go with a buddy, but it's out!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N Okay, thanks for the reviews. It makes me feel appreciated. I found out I'm not the only fanfiction writer at my school! It's awesome to see I'm not weird(coming from the person who came up with invisibruise)! Oh, and the whole Ella Enchanted-ness goes further in this chapter. Funny. But I promise it **_**will **_**change. In a completely random direction that makes sense. Like my conversations. **

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, and I merely use them for entertainment.**

"Ah, Miss Swan. Pleasure to see you could join me," James stated, in a voice as melodious as Edward's.

"It was no problem, your highness," I stated, adding a curtsy to give a respectful impression.

"Oh none of that," he replied with a wave of his hand.

Something was up. I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach that this wasn't going to end well. His smile seemed too fake, and his eyes had an untrustworthy look.

"I asked you to come up here for one reason specifically. How would you describe your relationship with my nephew?"

"It's going... well. I'm in love with him, but I don't know if he feels the same way," I answered truthfully.

He chuckled and stated, "Oh, I've heard so much about you from Edward. He's absolutely infatuated. Yet he feels the same way you do. He's in doubt about your feelings about him." So he loved me back. Wow.

"And all James can do is watch as his nephew proposes, and in turn get the throne," he continued with clear malice. "Listen here, Bella. All my life, I've wanted to rule. If that lifelong dream I've worked for gets ripped away simply because my nephew decides to get himself a girlfriend, I will do anything to get my dream back. Anything. Is that clear?"

"Yes."

"I just want you to know my exact intentions before you leave." He rummaged in his pocket for a vial of clear liquid. A woman I recognized as his wife brought him a small mouse.

James gave the mouse a drop of the liquid. In turn, the mouse went berserk. It squirmed and squeaked in agony, willing for everything to stop. The mouse's wish came true as it fell lifelessly onto the rug.

Was he implying murder? Just to keep his position?

"None of this conversation leaves this room. I might just slip my hand into Edward's goblet if word leaks out that you did.

"If he ever decides to propose to you, your first immediate answer is 'no'. If he keeps asking, it's best to break his heart. Tell him there's someone else. That should do the trick." He just wouldn't stop.

"Your first expected proposal is around June. Sometime in the ball for Edward's birthday," James drawled, now bored.

"You may leave if you wish, Miss Swan."

I got to my feet and left the throne room. The cold, harsh reality hadn't set in yet.

I marched lifelessly to the bedroom I had used for the past months.

Then, my body slowly accepted the new concept.

First, my brain. My emotions went haywire and tears appeared in my eyes.

Then, my lungs. I let out a large sob, racking my whole body.

Lastly, my legs. They gave out beneath me, and I landed on the frigid ground.

I reran the whole scene in my head, making sure I wouldn't miss any crucial detail that would land Edward in a casket. This caused even more hysterics. And when you're bawling your eyes out, someone is bound to hear you. And sometimes that someone can only make things worse.

"Bella!" Edward's voice exclaimed, "What's wrong? Is it Charlie? Did your town get attacked? Is Renee alright? Bella, please tell me. I can't help if you don't."He pleaded in his perfect voice, and it just near broke my heart.

"Go away," I moaned.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yes. I just...need some time to myself."

"That's fine if that's what you need." He left the room.

I heard Edward's whispers convincing Esme not to disturb me. Then the soft click of Esme's heels walking away. But I never heard Edward's footsteps. I guess he was outside the door.

I stared ahead at the wall silently, wanting not to say anything that would bring up James.

What was I to do? I couldn't possibly break his heart? Lying was out of the question. Of course I didn't want him de– don't think like that. The last thing I wanted was for Edward to hear my breakdown. It already hurt to think about him. I could only associate his name with dea– don't think like that! Maybe I could go back to Charlie. No, Charlie would want me safe inside the city's gargantuan wall. Being the sheriff, he would know of all the dangers of our minute town. What if I ran away with Edward? No, he'd get recognized everywhere he went. But what if we changed our lives? That would be a difficult change but not completely impossible. What would happen inside the country, though? James could do a lot of things as king, both good and bad. _And _he could influence leaders of other countries. This just gets more and more confusing.

I guess it narrows down to two choices at this point. Either obey James or disobey James. And, although I can't believe I'm saying this, I have to obey.

"Edward?" I asked in a clear voice.

The door opened an infinitesimal bit.

"Could you come in?"

The look on his face was one of pain trying to mask itself.

"Come here," I continued, patting the bed for him to sit on.

He sat accordingly.

I sighed before I spoke. "What would you do if I was ever hurt?"

"I'd make it better," he stated, saying it as if it was the most obvious answer, which it kind of was.

"What if you were the one that hurt me? What would you do then?"

"Have I hurt you, Bella?" He started searching frantically for any defect on my body.

"No, no, no. I'm just curious," I let my gaze upon him, blotchy eyes and all.

"I'd fix it, but I would never forgive myself, and I wouldn't deserve your forgiveness either."

My tears nearly broke their dam as he said his answer.

"If I ever hurt you, in any way, would you forgive me?" I sobbed at the end of the question.

"Of course. No one on this Earth could hold a grudge against you, Bella."

I smiled a bit at the end of his answer.

"One last one. Do you love me?" I wanted to make sure James hadn't simply tugged on my strings when he talked about marriage.

"Bella, you're my only reason for life. Without you, I would most definitely be lost."

I was satisfied with simply the first sentence. The second gave my heart a pang of guilt. The dam broke with that pang and my tears spilled.

"Oh Bella, I'm sorry if that was the wrong thing to say. It's understandable if you didn't feel the same way." He wrapped his arms around me comfortingly.

"I love you, Edward," I whispered, almost inaudible against his now tear-stained shirt

I couldn't see his face, but his posture changed immediately.

He slowly reclined, bringing my body down with him.

He planted light kisses along my jawline, placing my mind on a natural high. However, he quickly retreated.

"Follow me," he commanded.

I stood from the bed and he led me down the normal labyrinth of halls.

He stopped at a regal door. He opened the door and led me to his room.

The room was very similar to mine. However, he had drawings, poems, and paintings hanging everywhere.

"I've been planning to tell you that I love you for a while now," he rummaged in a drawer for something and retrieved a homemade booklet.

He handed it to me and I carefully opened it to the first page.

A drawing of me met my eyes. I was caught mid-laugh near the edge of the forest. It looked so vivid and I could almost smell the fresh aroma of the trees.

My mouth opened in a gasp and tears welled in my eyes.

"This is the most absolutely amazing thing I've looked at all my life," I breathed.

"It didn't take much inspiration," Edward shrugged.

"You're really talented," I mused while flipping through the either colorful or black and white pictures.

"It's just experience," he replied.

"Sure. If that's experience, my feet would have enough 'experience' to walk correctly. This is talent," I argued playfully.

"Fine, you win. Here's your prize." He kissed me lightly on the forehead.

"I should win more arguments," I murmured.

Edward laughed lightly and smiled one of his famous crooked grins.

"I think we should be getting to sleep," I suggested.

"You're right. I'll take you back to your room."

He once again led me through the winding halls. How people didn't get lost here I will never know.

"Here you are," Edward said politely.

He opened the door for me, quietly following after I entered.

"You're staying?" I asked.

"Well, after visiting, I've learned that you talk in your sleep, and this is one dream I don't want to miss."

"What if you're caught?"

"Don't worry. I'm an early riser."

I curled up in my bed, shuffling the covers to get myself warm.

Edward followed suit, adjusting himself to wrap his arms around me comfortably.

His body molded perfectly with mine. A perfect match.

I turned so I was facing my fallen angel, placing my head on his soft yet muscular arm.

I closed my eyes, not knowing what would await when I opened them.

Unconsciousness took over, but before I had known I was asleep, vivid images and words flooded my brain.

"I will do anything to get my dream back," echoed my head.

"I might just slip my hand into Edward's goblet if word leaks out that you did. Best to break his heart. Someone else..." my head echoed the words over and over mercilessly.

Images of Edward lifeless or screaming in agony came next.

I tried to scream, but nothing came out in my imaginary world

_That's it! This is just a dream, _I reassured myself.

I forced my eyes open, simultaneously taking in gulps of air.

My eyes searched for something, but I couldn't remember what and I let my body sag into the sea of covers.

"Explain yourself," I heard. That couldn't be him could it?

I looked up and I saw Edward was sitting in the same seat he had sat in all those nights ago. However, this time his eyes held heartbreak and confusion and his face was contorted in anger.

**A/N Okay, this chapter is basically two put in one because I couldn't find a place to split it and be satisfied with size. Also, Bella kind of forgets what happened with James. Let's just blame that on Edward's charm and good looks *wink wink*. Review as you please!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: Nope-a-dee-doo-dah! Nope-a-dee-ay! **

"What are you talking about?" I asked innocently.

"'Slip my hand into his goblet'? 'Best to break his heart'? 'Someone else'?" he seethed.

I cowered under his gaze. I'd forgotten about all of the day's events after our encounter in his room.

"Just tell me, Bella. Who is it? Who is this 'someone else'?" Tears sparkled at the edge of his eyes. Diamonds and emeralds. A jolly comparison unfit for what was happening.

"No one," I murmured. Of course, it would sound like I was denying him the truth.

"Unbelievable. I confess my love to you just hours ago, and this is how you repay me? I thought you were better than this. I can't believe I actually fell for your lies," he whispered to himself. He cradled his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his thighs.

I placed my hand on his shoulder, but it only made things worse. What could I say?

"Don't give me your comfort. I don't deserve it."

"Edward!" I finally decided.

"I swear to you, I love you and only you! The mere idea that you believed for one second that there was someone else in my life is an insult to our trust!" That much was true.

"Bella, if that's not it, then what were you talking about?"

I gulped. The much-too-dreaded question.

"I can't tell you," I whispered, so low even I had to strain to hear it.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that."

"I can't tell you," I repeated, noticeably louder.

"Why?" Edward choked out.

"I can't tell you."

"Yes, I know you can't tell me. Why can't you tell me?"

"I just can't. Bad things would happen."

"What kind of bad things?"

"JUST BAD THINGS, ALRIGHT!!!"

I gasped in realization of my yelling.

"Bella, If you just _tell _me why, I'll leave you alone," Edward pleaded in a heart-shattering voice.

If he left me alone, he would be safe from the danger of death. But I forgot that things don't always go according to plan.

"If I tell you, you have to swear that you will tell no one. Your life depends on it and you would never be safe if you talked."

He nodded slowly.

"Let's head out. Less chance someone will hear us."

I led the way, going in a direction we were prohibited to go in.

"Bella, I don't think this is a safe–"

"No one comes here, right?" I interrupted

He shook his head.

I still walked into the cover of the thick forest. Under the shelter of the trees, the rain didn't drench us. However, the ominous thunder still kept me on edge.

I took a deep breath, willing myself not to cry once again.

"When James invited me to the throne room, he asked me about our relationship. I told him my answer, being that I loved you but wasn't sure about what you felt." Here Edward smiled a gentle, little crescent. "He told me you felt exactly the same way. Unfortunately, he compensated the good news with bad news." Cue thunder and lightning.

"I won't get into the details, but he said he would kill someone if you ever proposed to me and I accepted. He loves the throne, Edward. He'll do anything to keep it. He commanded that I decline marriage or leave you to avoid future proposals. I know I could never do that to you."I looked up from the ground, which I had been staring at most of the time I had been talking.

"Who would he kill?" Edward asked, his throat choking around the word "kill".

The tears reappeared, blurring everything. I turned to the side slowly, not wanting Edward to see me like this.

"Bella...is it me?"

I whipped around, barreling straight into Edward's arms, which coincidentally caught me as I fell.

However, we both sank to the ground and landed on the soft, mossy ground.

I wrapped my arms around Edward as he finally understood what James's intentions were. He stared ahead in shock, a look of concentration clear on his soft features.

"He killed Carlisle," Edward whispered hoarsely.

"What?" I answered, just as hoarse.

"I know it. He killed Carlisle." He caught my gaze before continuing. "James and Carlisle were the only ones that left. That makes James the only witness, meaning he could have easily made up a story about Carlisle's death. How could I miss this?! What if he's not dead? What if James left him stranded, but Carlisle made it out? Think about it, Bella!" There was a half-crazed look to Edward's eyes.

"Edward, I really hate to let your hopes up, but knowing James, I would say he killed him with that poison his wife gave to that mouse. He looked like he'd used it before"

Edward froze.

"What poison?" he asked tentatively. "What did it look like?"

"It looked like water but thicker. Why?"

"It's my grandfather's vampire venom!"

"Excuse me?" That last remark left me confused.

"My grandfather was completely obsessed with vampires. Hunting them down was his life. He had collected some venom for a scientist to study. The scientist learned that the venom would rend the person that ingested it invincible. My grandfather sent for it to be destroyed, but he died before he could make the request."

"So Carlisle could be alive?"

"Possibly. Bloodthirsty but alive."

"Well, not necessarily bloodthirsty, but you were on the right track," said a soft voice from the forest.

**A/N Dun dun duun. You guys like the cliffy? It moved too fast for my liking, but you're my readers, so you're the ones entitled to state your opinions. There **_**are **_**vamps, something I forgot to mention in the summary. Whoops. Possibly a change going on if I write a sequel, which I will probably be too lazy to do. I've forgotten how much time has passed since Carlisle's death, but I'll say his compassion gives him extra will power not to drink human blood. **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I'm sorry! I've been extremely busy and haven't been able to type. Here are my excuses. Candy canes are not convenient for a calming atmosphere. In other words, I got loopy off fruit-flavored candy canes. To tell you the truth, I'm still really hyper and giggly. I am also reading ****The Princess Bride**** because I was thinking about making a Twilight Princess Bride. And for my last excuse, there was a snowstorm and I really love the snow, so I spent a ton of time procrastinating in the snow. By the way, this chapter really sucks because I didn't really have it planned out in my head the way other chapters were.**

"Impossible," I muttered.

"Carlisle?" inquired Edward. "Is it really you?"

Only the rain broke the silence.

"Yes," answered Carlisle after his hesitant pause. He emerged from the trees, only revealing part of his face. I gasped at how his golden eyes glowed in mid-air.

"I've been watching over you both. I've heard James's plans, and I just wanted to make sure you didn't get into danger in the castle," he explained. His voice was like honey, sweet and smooth.

"Where have you been for the past few years?" asked Edward.

"I've been abroad, trying to control my thirst. I hunt animals instead of humans," he explained.

Carlisle emerged completely, and stood in front of Edward. His inhumane beauty made my knees give a little.

"You are in grave danger," he stated.

"I know. Bella just tol–"

"I know se told you. However, this is something else. James knows that he can't die and you can't marry, but he forgot that once you turn eighteen, you inherit the throne. Edward, your birthday is the day of the coronation. When James learns this, you _will _die," Carlisle interrupted.

"Can I decline?"

"Unfortunately, no. You need to have an heir to be able to decline. We have to get rid of James somehow."

"That's going to be impossible."

"I know... Unless..." Carlisle's voice faded as his face scrunched in concentration."We _could _distract James by bringing up a different threat." He exhibited a grin.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Bella, how many Quileutes are you in contact with?" Carlisle asked, and his perfect grin could have rivaled the moon's current smile.

"You want to bring the _Quileutes_ into this?! Are you crazy?!" Edward interrupted.

"We've been over this before. They're exactly the same as you and me," I said, feeling like a teacher going over something.

"No, not that. They hate us, remember?" He had a point.

"Not us – James. You've been trying to pass laws to free them. That's going to have effects on their opinion of you," Carlisle explained.

"Edward, just think of it! I've been trying to arrange rebellions like this for years– no offence. It's perfect! You should hear the things they say about James. All they want to do is rip his head off and roast it on a stick. It's going to be unbelievably easy to make a riot." I added. Carlisle nodded and Edward didn't have to ponder things very long.

"How are we going to leave without anyone getting suspicious?" Edward asked, feeling like the umpteenth question he'd asked. He was very-detail oriented, afraid of failure and relying on a structured base for everything.

"Easy," Carlisle answered. "You tell them where you're going. They'll understand once your destination is revealed."

"Where would that be?" I asked.

"Forks." That word sent my mind into memories of Charlie. It would be obvious that was the reason I was going to Forks.

Carlisle interrupted my thoughts by adding in a solemn voice,"Unfortunately we need to add some theatrics for James."

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I am also apologizing for the future wait. I'm going to California and possibly Mexico for winter break. I get to see my home state again! I won't be back until probably a week and a couple of days. Sorry!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N I am, of course, extremely sorry for the long wait. I wasn't anticipating it in the least.**

**We brought back a cousin from Mexico and we've been showing her around and all those fun things. Finals came right after we came back from vacation. Band concert too. Three hours of homework for an entire week. Yeah, yeah, excuses, excuses. I know. **

**Anyways, here's your chapter.**

"Edward, I can't do this," I explained.

"I'm looking forward to it as much as you are, Bella, but think of all the people we're rescuing from slavery," Edward answered.

I breathed out a sigh and entered the dining chamber with Edward's hand held tightly in mine.

"Good morning," chirped Alice.

"G'morning," I grumbled.

"Bella, you don't have to be mean about it. Good morning," Edward said sternly.

I grabbed a plate and served myself some eggs, bread, and jam.

"Mean about what?" asked Alice.

I was hoping that she would be the one asking all the questions. She was the closest to my age, friendliest, and the easiest to talk to.

"Nothing," I grunted. I bit a large mouthful of eggs to keep me from saying anything I didn't need to.

Edward sighed. "Bella is angry because I won't let her go to Forks."

"She needs to go to Forks, Edward. She misses Charlie," retorted Alice. My heart warmed at that comment. I would have to thank her about that.

"What if something happens? What if there's an attack while she's there and I never see her again?" Edward said, with genuine worry in his voice.

"What if something happens? What if there's an attack and I never see my father again?" I nearly quoted.

"That's not going to happen."

I threw down the piece of bread I was about to eat in mock frustration.

"So you're admitting it won't happen while I'm there?" I said skeptically.

"Bella, what I'm saying is that the odds of your town getting attacked are greater if you're there because our enemies know what you mean to us."

"Yes, because I'm on top of everyone's 'To Kill' list," I replied sarcastically.

"Don't say that," Edward murmured.

"I can say anything I want, and I can also do whatever I want to."

"Bella–,"

"No. I'm leaving no matter what you say."

With that I jumped up in a flourish and left the dining room. I saw Edward sit down dejectedly in a mirror as I stalked away.

I gratefully didn't get lost and exited the front doors. I took in the view, hoping that all would go as planned and I would see this place again soon.

I walked through the city and entered a tavern, much like the previous one I had been in.

"Carl," I whispered, using the codename we had agreed on, although Carlisle didn't seem to like it as much.

Instantly, a hooded man came up to me and grumbled(in a voice that didn't fully disguise his own), "This way."

We sat at a table away from all the windows and Carlisle said, "Is he coming?"

"I'd guess. I didn't see him as I left."

"Perfect. We just have to wait now."

The seconds turned into minutes and the minutes crawled by slowly.

I had tried sitting seven different ways while Carlisle stared straight ahead the whole time.

Fidgeting impatiently, I took up one of my old habits– biting my nails. Unfortunately– or fortunately I should say– they were already stubs.

I sighed, giving up, and asked Carlisle, "How do you do that?"

"Hmm?" asked Carlisle. Now that I really noticed him, I noticed his eyes were staring at one exact spot. They were also glazed over and had a look very similar to the expression a girl makes when the guy she has feelings for walks by.

I turned to see what he was looking at and noticed a sketch hanging on the wall behind me.

It was a picture of him and Esme as teenagers.

It must have been horrible for him to endure years without Esme-- I can hardly stand five minutes without Edward.

"This was Esme's favorite place to go when we would go out secretly. An artist was looking around and he drew us." He chuckled. "He didn't realize that I was of royal blood until the bartender screamed it out loud. The bartender bought it from the artist, and now it's where everything began." He sighed. " I miss her so much," he explained with despair in his eyes.

"She misses you too, you know. She'd tell me all sorts of stories about you and the rest of the family. She'd almost cry every time."

"I sometimes think that it would be better if I were...dead." I rushed to stop his conversation, but he kept going. "If she'd have proof that I was dead–my body for example– maybe she wouldn't feel so confused. She's probably thought that I wasn't dead a million times without knowing that was true. I wouldn't feel so guilty about being alive without her. I'd watch over her from above, never have to be without her for one second. All these positive things, Bella, really make me think if I was condemned to a life like this for a wrong I committed."

"Of course not. This is just fate at work. If you hadn't told us of James's plans, Edward and many others would have been killed in James's plans. Imagine what we would have done without you."

"Bella, what if I... hurt her?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if she sees me when she's in town, or taking a ride, or just looking out the window? What do I do then? She will not accept me because she would think I was lying to her for years. She'd be even more heartbroken than she was before."

"Well, that would depend on her. Is she willing to take you under all circumstances? Is her love for you never-ending? Are you willing to take her back? It's an eternal cycle of "what if's" and you can't be sure what the outcome is going to be unless you do it."

Carlisle nodded slightly solemnly. He was thinking of the bad side of the "what if's" just as I would do.

The door to the tavern opened, letting in a large draft.

I peered curiously to see who had entered breathed out a sigh of relief.

We could proceed to the next step of the plan.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: SORRY! That's all I can say nowadays, huh? I'm finding new hobbies and also procrastinating. *chuckles nervously***

**Also, I will probably also take some more time between now and the next project because I just got assigned three projects, I've got freshman orientations coming up, and other things in the way like my mom's use of the computer for her homework.**

**Now without further ado...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight series. If I did, it would mean that I had some pretty cool dreams.**

I gulped nervously and knocked on the front door of Jacob's small home.

I glanced at Edward and noticed he was nervous too. I guess his encounter with Jacob hadn't been the best way to get to know someone.

Sam opened the door and greeted me, throwing glares at Edward.

"Come on in," said Billy from the couch.

I walked into the cramped home of the Black family. The familiar smell of pine met my senses and made a small smile appear on my face.

"Hey Billy, where's Jacob?" I asked.

"He's out in the stables. He's not doing anything too important, so you can go see him if you want."

"Thank you."

I walked around the house, the route memorized after so many visits.

"Hey Jake!" I hollered.

"Bells?" he asked.

"Who else do you know that looks exactly like me?" I teased.

"I can't believe you're here! Charlie told me you were at the capital! Ha! As if you'd ever go there!" Jacob laughed.

Just then, Edward caught up and Jacob's face fell.

"Bella," he whined, "please tell me Charlie was lying."

"I know this looks bad, but he's not the bad one. None of them are! It's just James. He's the one we should be worried about."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, James killed Carlisle, not Quileutes. He made that story up so he could get rid of his brother and take over." Of course, it hadn't completely worked and as we spoke, Carlisle was listening from the forest.

"Now he's planning to get rid of Edward, the only blood heir, to keep the throne until he dies."

"Holy sh... cow," he finished.**(Recognize that from anywhere?)**

"Smooth, Jake."

"Right."

"How fast can you round up a mob?"

"Pretty fast."

"Great, the bigger the better."

"But Bells what are you doing?"

"Finishing what we started."

"You mean?"

"Yes."

"No way..."

"Just take the mob to the capital. Wait, no. Scratch that. Just... invade anytime before Edward's ball."

"Why?"

"We need a distraction. Don't hurt anyone, just... keep fake hostages. Tell them some lie that'll let them know that they'll be safe, but not until I show up. Don't tell them about James. We don't want any slip-ups."

"What are you planning, Bella?" asked Edward.

"Keeping you safe."

"What will we be doing while they are getting the mob together?"

"Preparing for the ball, of course."

* * *

"This better work," I muttered.

Alice tightened my corset, making my breath escape my lungs.

"Don't worry, Bella. When Edward sees you in this he'll drop dead," "reassured" Alice.

"I doubt it," I scoffed.

"Hold this," ordered Alice, sticking a ribbon in my hand. "You know, you really underestimate yourself. Now give it back."

I handed her the ribbon and hoped that my plans would go well.

The door opened and in stumbled Rosalie.

"Alice, should I wear the beige dress or the white one?" she asked, a little breathless.

"Hmm," thought Alice," the white one will make you look too pale, but the beige one is too plain. How about the sage one?"

"I'd forgotten about it. Thanks, Alice. By the way, have you seen Emmett?" answered Rosalie.

"No. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Jasper either."

"Edward told me they were going down into the city on an errand," I lied.

"That's strange," replied Alice, with a gleam in her eye.

"Well, I've got to get ready too. I'll see you around," said Rosalie.

What felt like an eternity of pulling corsets impossibly tight passed, and Alice didn't seem tired at all.

I was getting more and more anxious for this to end.

The door slammed open and Alice swore for having been interrupted.

"Emmett and Jasper are missing," stated Edward.

Alice stared at him in shock.

"No, no he can't be," whispered Alice.

"I'm sorry, Alice, but–"

"He told me he had something special planned for tonight," sobbed Alice. "'Something life-changing,' he promised. He was going to propose. I know."

"Alice, just calm down for a bit," I consoled.

"We'll find them," promised Edward.

"How can you be so sure?" asked Alice.

"Alice, we're royalty. We can close off the city borders so no one gets in or out. Come on, I think James is having lunch. We can talk to him in the dining chamber."

Alice followed Edward out.

I thought, _I'm the last one left._

I sighed and proceeded to the next step.

I loosened my corset in preparation and walked to the room the "hostages" were being held.

_Why do I always get the hard part?_

I opened the large door pretending to be miserable.

I gasped at the sight of all my friends gagged and bounded and bolted from the room.

I heard heavy steps behind me and inwardly thanked Jacob for having the idea for the workers to wear boots.

"HELP! HELP!!!" I screamed in the hallways, the echoes amplifying it.

My pursuer retreated but I still needed to continue on.

I ran blindly through the still unknown layout of the castle and hoped this was the door I needed.

Yes! I ran straight into James and told him about the sight in the dining hall.

He looked at me skeptically but followed after taking in my exhausted state.

I hoped I had given them enough time to clear out so there would be no casualties.

James entered first as I hoped he would.

He looked around and took in the absence of guards. My eyes just took in the lone form on the stone floor.

My heart cried within me when I saw he was unconscious, but I kept a stone face for James.

The door shut behind me and I knew it was too late to back out.

**A/N: Okay, let me explain. They got together a mob to "kidnap" everyone so nothing suspicious would be going on in the minds of our vamps. Then they sort of evacuated while Bella was getting James so... you'll find out next chapter. Oh, and the pursuer was just someone that made Bella act like it was more real.**

**Next Chapter:  
**"They were here I swear!" I cried.

"How can I trust you? You've been an obstacle to me from the start," spat James. "I think the world would be a better place without you."

He took a dagger from his belt and played with it in front of my face.

I shut my eyes in anticipation and felt sharp pain on my wrist.

"Leave her alone. One corpse is enough for tonight."


	17. Author's Note don't worry

**MUST READ!!!**

My bad! I completely screwed up last chapter! I wrote that Jasper was going to propose to Alice but I forgot they were already married. Let's just switch the order things happened in and have Edward come in while Rosalie is inside. _Emmett_ told _Rosalie_ about "something life-changing" and Rose freaks out. Of course Alice also freaks out because Jasper is missing but Rose takes the cake. Problem solved. I don't know how else to fix it.


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